Prince Yadav of Lucknow Super Giants (AP Photo)

New Chandigarh: It was a long time ago when Prince Yadav had to face frequent beatings from his father for roaming around the neighborhood to play tennis-ball cricket. Until the age of 17, Prince played every tennis-ball cricket match in Daryapur Khurd, a village beyond Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag’s birthplace, on the south-western outskirts of the capital.“Bahut maar khata tha ghar par. (I used to be beaten a lot at home),” says the LSG fast bowler with a mischievous smile during a chat with TOI.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!At first glance it is difficult to imagine Prince as a fast bowler. He does not stand very tall and his extremely lean body can be very deceiving. His father (retired Railway Police Force personnel) had legitimate concerns. The family’s income was largely dependent on wheat farming, perhaps the Prince did not seem to be adding anything to it. But the irony is that he is still playing tennis-ball cricket at the age of 24, while he is fast becoming a standout uncapped Indian fast bowler in the IPL.“Even after coming back from last year’s IPL, I still play tennis-ball cricket. I can’t speak for everyone, but it helps me with my arm speed because you need to put in a lot of effort to bowl fast with a tennis ball. The yorker feels strong (you can bowl fast yorkers),” he says, before quickly adding, “Whenever I get a break from cricket, I go to the fields. I love farming. We did some. Had harvested wheat the day before.”ipl 2026: Best bowling average and strike rate (minimum 10 wickets)

On Sunday, Prince came out of the carnage inflicted by the Punjab Kings batsmen with figures of 2/25 in his four overs. He is known for his yorkers in Delhi cricket. However, this year he looks like a more all-round bowler. LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun claims he has all the ingredients to make him a special fast bowler. “We have seen that he can swing the ball and he has variety as well. He has a good variety of slower balls and yorkers. And whenever he gets a chance to bowl, he works very hard to hone his skills,” says Arun.Prince has been learning the job ever since he was picked up by former Delhi cricketer Lalit Yadav, who insisted he join an academy 15 kilometers from his home at the age of 17. And during LSG’s practice session, it’s impossible to see the Prince far away from you. Mohammed Shami. He would go to Shami after each delivery and demand a nod.“You should get a chance to bowl with a player like Shami. He is always with all the young fast bowlers. Whenever we are not practicing he will talk about life off the field.” He goes out with us,” Prince gushes. “I can’t share what he says because those things are very private.”“After the last IPL, I was in constant touch zaheer khan (LSG mentor last year). I have spent a lot of time with Ishant Sharma in the Delhi state team. Ever since I came to Delhi cricket, I have been learning only about the art of fast bowling.Everything seems to be happening fast for Prince at the moment. But he was dealt a blow when the BCCI banned him for two years on charges of age falsification after playing Under-19 cricket within a year of playing hard ball in 2020. “That was a very bad phase. My family supported me because they understood that I could do something in my life by playing cricket. The former Delhi fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan Came to me and said that he would train me during that time. For two years I quietly trained with him and played tennis-ball cricket. That’s why I was able to take the field immediately after the ban ended,” recalls Prince.Prince is now in BCCI’s shortlist of targeted fast bowlers. He is seen as a potential player who can take India’s fast bowling forward. But for now, he is happy to see his family happy watching him play cricket.